Don't slow it down. It is short duration, quick speed, and fits a variety of work and life schedules, which adds another type of strategy to it - determining when to play turns.

If tech leeching is a concern, make an adjustment similar to the above pertaining to labs. Leeching does provide an unfair tech advantage, but leeching also exists in all alliance slots in general. If you are teching more than I, then I am benefiting and, therefore, leeching to some extent. Same is true for defense. If you have more defense than I, then I benefit more in that relationship and am somewhat leeching there. It will never be bulletproof.

If we delete the alliances altogether, then you have another tourney server. IMHO, tourney is the solo server (no allies, more war than conversation), not Express. Express, and through allies, is a great way to meet friends, retain players, and teach others to play. So what if the game rules/ formula vary slightly from server to server, it is still a great place to play a new strategy. Each can chose for himself which server he likes best. FFA is not the place to learn, and Primary lasts too long and will make a new player get discouraged very quickly when they see the final scores.

Having 360(360) is not the root cause of someone suiciding on another and screwing their set. It is usually arrogance or multi-tapping that leads to that. But, there are those that do seek to ruin it for others, so eliminate the ABs and specialty attacks altogether if you want to remove suiciding.

In the end, just play the game. I am amazed at how many experienced, champions of the game accuse others of cheating because they disagree with how something was done. I suck at it, but have worked hard and asked questions week after week to get better. I haven't asked for a rule change to help me master the Express server - only advice from friends on how to achieve the results I want. Without the alliances, I would not have the friends.

The downside to sucking at the game is that once one figures it out and hits top 10 for the first time, someone is going to say they must have cheated because they have never been in the top 10 before. Mods, you will always have something to investigate with all the complaining, so make it easy on yourselves. But I will say this, Express is the only server I play because it works with my schedule. Same may be true for others.

lmao...

Thanks for all you, qzjul....

Getting it on Express and Tourney.

Well, I guess I fall in the suck at all of them category as I continue to try something different, ask questions, joined an alliance that got closed down a few weeks later, etc, to try to improve my game.

I thank the many of you who have answered my questions and been patient with me as I have worked diligently to figure something out.

It's a good thing I didn't have this much trouble learning to screw.

"Farmers, Indies, Oilers, and to a lesser extent, Cashers, all have far superior production when a significant portion of their land is unbuilt."

So a casher with 15Ka, a percentage of which are unbuilt, will cash at a higher rate than a casher will 95% res & EZ and 5% ICs (assuming both have maximum res and bus techs)?

Indies, too? I have always thought that to be most efficient the indies and cashers has to produce at a maximum levels, which to me means all acres occupied by production buildings for the respective strategy.

LOL, Alin....funny.

Vic, I need it, too....already on a spreadsheet, important stuff at the top, hit list, couple of step by step strategies, etc. Now, that would be a hook up! Just kidding dude.

I like that idea with eestats on a link above. I always depended on the news until I played primary one set. I couldn't get it to look back far enough and, at the time wasn't taking any notes, and broke my GDI.

I made a new friend that time who told me about eestats, and I also take notes on that server if I play it.

Glad to see that I am finally getting some recognition around here. I have been awake for thirty minutes and have already seen my name mentioned in two different threads....BOOYAAAH. Unfortunately, they were both due to my brief stint in RD, which makes me a cheater. *places label on forehead*

You know you have bad luck/timing when you join your first alliance since 1990's and it gets closed down a few weeks after you join.

Same here, silentwolf.

I play same name for same reason as well and to build a network of friends (or enemies). As TDA mentioned, some can be 360+ turns behind others and I have been one of those lately due to work schedule and new strategies. If someone is going to hit me after having the opportunity to see that I am sitting on turns, they deserve to be retalled. I credit my man Vic for teaching me this.

A few months after I started playing Express, I went down the score list grabbing people after looking at their military without paying attention to their strategy. I didn't know it was him I was hitting, but he knew it was me (you dirty dog lol), he retalled me but rightfully so. But more importantly, he taught me a lesson in a single grab and I have paid more attention during my spys ops since.

I was focused on him being an easy break and didn't notice he had not played a bunch of turns. That was his strategy and who am I to attack him for having turns and low military? I should have moved on and found a better target. Now, I look at the turns left in my spy op before I look at anything else. That is actually a better defense as far I am concerned, at least to those who pay attention.

Last set, a player hit me ten times without any regard to the fact that I had not play my turns. As part of my strategy experiment, I let him slide...until the end. That was very difficult for me because my style, personality, and principle is that I retal most hits and flatten anything over a double tap. But I was focused on all-xing, playing peacefully, and trying to get my best finish....which, by the way, I had my worse finish in awhile. So that part of the experiment failed and I will not allow the multi-tapping again in the future regardless of goals, rank, etc. I am playing the same name again, but I bet he isn't.

I want to play peacefully and learn to net. If I get hit, fine, but don't complain if I retal or when I choose to do it. If I happen to have some turns stocked, that doesn't make me a cheater or a noob. (IMO, it is more of a noob move to hit the person with that many turns; quite pompous, too.) I think some mistake me for a noob because of my networth, which usually sucks. But I was a warrior the first 15 years I played, and never learned how to net.

I am trying that approach now and, you know, almost every name mentioned on this single thread has helped me at some point.

You are also playing rainbow strat. If you specialize, change that M, and build on that 1464 unused, you would do even better. You should be stocking, too, not sitting on $800k. Good job working with what you have though.

I tried to make a move on my old lady once, but she was awake and it didn't work. lmao.

ditto and ditto.

Vic taught me this a few sets ago when I hit him for a 100 +/- acres and then lost a lot more on the retal.

When my work schedule dictates lates starts for me, I have the upperhand on retals if someone is foolish enough, as I was with Vic, to hit a country with stored turns.

what he said

Vic, same for me. It kind of comes and goes due to work schedule and other hobbies. I won't paint for a year or two and then I'll paint every day. I did landscapes/seascapes for a long time, then moved to abstract expressionism and impressionism. I do a little wildlife as well. Have really changed it up over the years. I began with oils, went to water colors, did acrylics for 10 years, and am back to oils and/or acrylics depending on the work. Seems every time I stop and then start back, I use something different.

Cool topic CX started for us. Nice to see a different side to you guys. (That sentence sounds weird but you know what I mean.)

That's very cool, CX. I write and paint a little, and really appreciate seeing the work of others.

lol...great advice NukEvil.

Nice, CX. You wrote this?

Thanks, Marshal.

So is more not better? I do it backwards and have a bpt target (100) instead of land target (though always over 10K acres). Usually playing commie/indy, theo techer, or rep casher if that matters.

I do it more faster rebuild if under attack and faster building when I all-x batch.

Good job, h2o.

Been there, 5hade. I once ran a bunch of turns with production set to 0 on everything. Didn't have fluff to sell when I got finished.

Will two techers and a leecher suffice? I'll sacrifice and take the leeching role to keep it simple.

Made me lol.

lol..

Serious questions, blid...and you know I respect you, so no sarcasm intended... I am just trying to understand.

Do you play with the same country name each set, or does RR just happen to find you each set? Is he purposely targeting you?

I'm with TDA on the hate and here's why: when I play techer, ebert is kind enough to ally with me, as several other veteran players have, although I suck at this game and only finish with about half the net as he and others. But, I can count on him if I need a tech partner and he has a slot open. So should he, or other good netters who are kind enough to ally with me, be hit each set if I do not play as well as others think I should, or if they do not teach me how to play?

Should I be ran out of the game when I make stupid moves as RR is accused? Do I not deserve good allies because I do not play as well as you guys?

Isn't the game itself the training ground and where you learn?

I am not getting some of the stuff that is going on lately. If one doesn't play as others think you should, then you are picked on each set. If one plays aggressive, then they are turned into a parking lot.

If somebody plays an all-x country so they are not deemed aggressive, they then get RoR'd when they retal because they gained more than they lost. They may also be turned into a parking lot because they are considered an all jetter since their retal was likely on a larger country.

I don't get this stuff anymore.

I'll take a leech as well ;)

lol

Get'em ebert!

I was thinking NCAA as soon as I read this.

This sucks....my first set with RD and first time on Alliance server since the '90s.

snawdog...just saw your rainbow post..funny stuff!

Thanks for the advertisement, CX! lol.

I like it.

Same here...and as someone said a week or two ago, I retal when it is convenient for me. Anyone who grabs a country early and sees they haven't played many turns, is asking for retal.

I once hit Vic (not knowing it was Vic until I was posted on the noob vs pro thread lol) and he hit me back, as he should have. I saw his turns, but couldn't resist the land opportunity before me and took the risk anyway thinking it may be a noob. In the end, I looked like the noob.

I will be weighing in soon.

You looking for me, ford?

Allies, whose countries, along with yours, were created a minute or less apart and who happened to be online at the same time as you, saw what you were doing within minutes of commencement, and took part. All in response to a DH? Now, those are some awesome allies. Like, it was meant to be for you guys.

1

True..it's a matter of perspective and they saved you the turns.

Same names could screw up some relationships and shouldn't be allowed. May as well allow same usernames on the forums.

In addition, it costs the mods more time due to investigations.

lol..was hoping he would see it. Maybe someone can guide him over..lol.

On a different note, I saw where one of these countries has killed a couple of good ones. That is unfortunate.

I mentioned the three Spartacus countries on day one in another thread. You could tell they were going to be trouble. We should have purged the game of them at the onset.

Agreed.

Tried to edit one line above and quoted myself instead. What a noob.

I have only been around a few months and probably do not know enough to be talking, but in my opinion some of this is uncool.

I tech ally with RR almost every set but was not aware of the RoR and topfeeding, etc, since I do not watch his news. I think I have met enough people here for it to be known that I am not a multi. Plus, I suck at the game.

BUT, based on the comments above, it appears I should expect some blowback due to "guilty by association" since I ally with him. It seems in the threads above that is what is happening to ebert.

I ally with ebert, h20, st0ny, Learners Permit, and several others with more experience than I when I can because I want to learn how to play this game. It's not pre-arranged, as I saw on an older thread. It is "who is available" that is dependable.

Interestingly enough, I received an ingame message last set about how RR topfeeds, etc. I don't watch his news and do not use offensive allies. Therefore, I do not know these things. I tech and check to see that my tech allies are doing their part. Very rarely do I even talk to my allies.

The person who messaged me said he was attacking him because he RoR'd (that's fair enough) but then went on to say that RR didn't know how to play..used all his turns, spent his stock, never finished above $15 mil, etc....so he was also attacking to teach him a lesson. How does that teach someone how to play?

I do stupid stuff sometimes, too, but attacking me won't turn me into a top 10'ner. If it would, I would dump my defense.

So why am I saying all of this? Because I keep reading these accusations about people, whom you may know far better than I, but I ally with, so I know some of the things being said are inaccurate. Also because I do not want to see Express turn into FFA where people are attacked in the game and in the forum.

I found this place in May after being out of E2025 for over 10 years. We have a great community here in Express and I do not want to see it change.

Thought I was on FFA server until I realized I didn't hear ford.

lol..and probably some others.

Anyone noticed these?